"The Art of Video Games" Exhibit Opening Weekend!

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of “The Art of Video Games” exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C.  Showcasing 80 games and spanning over 40 years, “The Art of Video Games” exhibit is an environment in which fans and gamers can see and learn how video games have evolved, and how they’ve become a true art form, rather than just a hobby.

“The exhibition focuses on the interplay of graphics, technology and storytelling through some of the best games for twenty gaming systems ranging from the Atari VCS to the PlayStation 3.”

How were the games selected to be in the exhibit?  Well originally, there were 240 games nominated, but with the help of the public and an advisory board made up of game developers, industry pioneers, designers and journalists, the (80) winning games were chosen based on certain criteria, such as visual effects and the creative use of new technologies.

“Voting took place between February 14 and April 17, 2011. More than 3.7 million votes were cast by 119,000 people in 175 countries!”

You can check out the full list of games included in the exhibit here, and see if some of your favorites made it!

The exhibit was small but simple.  Each console was displayed in a glass case, with images of the four chosen/winning games in the following categories: Action, Target, Adventure, and Tactics.  The games were presented through screenshots and video footage including interviews and some background information on how the game was created.  In a separate room, there were also five games you could play, including Super Mario Brothers, Pac-Man, Myst, Flower, and The Secret of Monkey Island.  Click here to check out the displays and full photoset on our Flickr page!

Along with the exhibit, gamers could attend a mini convention-esque event called “GameFest” where they had the opportunity to attend panels, meet designers and artists, play some games, and simply mingle in a social gaming environment.

“The Art of Video Games” exhibit will be at the Smithsonian American Art Museum until September 30th 2012, and the best part about it is that it’s free!  If you’re in the area and you enjoy video games, I highly recommend you check it out; and make sure you check the schedule to see if something cool is happening when you plan on attending!  For all information on the exhibit, click here for the official website.

Share this article:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on tumblr
Tumblr
Share on email
Email
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp

Recent Posts

Marvel 1943 cover art. Captaint America and Black Panther Gaming News

Get a Closer Look at the New Black Panther and Captain America Game | Marvel 1943

It’s been a while since we first got word that the great Amy Hennig was working on a new Black Panther and Captain America game. After creating something like Uncharted, …

Mad Catz Strike 11 Keyboard. A keyboard with red and black keys Hardware & Tech

Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 11 Mechanical Keyboard Impressions

I have been on the search for a decently priced wireless keyboard and there is no shortage these days. Our friends over at Mad Catz sent over their S.T.R.I.K.E. 11 …

Hardware & Tech

Level Up Your Set Up with Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf has been one of the market leaders in the gaming lighting space for years now. They have a variety of products to level up not only your office space …

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Gaming News

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and What’s Next For Xbox | Let’s Chat

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the next big game set for release and the rumor mill has been set ablaze with talks of Xbox going multi-platform. We take a few …

Gaming News

The Pimax Crystal 8K VR Headset | CES 2024

AR and VR were some of the bigger topics during this year’s CES. Last year I was able to go hands-on with the Pimax Portal but this year it was …

CES

NVIDIA Announces 40 Series Super Cards and More at CES 2024

A year can’t go by without a huge announcement from NVIDIA. During CES 2024 in Las Vegas, NVIDIA announced an upgrade to its 40 series cards. The GeForce RTX 40 …